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Alaska Air to let fliers stream TV, movies to gadgets

Alaska Airlines customers is unveiling a new in-flight entertainment system that will allow customers to stream movies, TV shows and other content directly to their own personal devices. Dubbed "Gogo Vision,"

Alaska Airlines customers is unveiling a new in-flight entertainment system that will allow customers to stream movies, TV shows and other content directly to their own personal devices.

Dubbed "Gogo Vision," the system will allow Alaska Air customers to use their own laptop, tablet or smart phone to access more than 100 movies and 50 television shows as well as other offerings. The system will begin to appear on Alaska Airlines' latest 737 models by the end of the year.

Alaska Air says the move is part of a $100 million investment the company is making to upgrade the cabins of its 737-800, 737-900 and 737-900ER aircraft.

For those concerned the streaming in-flight entertainment will slow Wi-Fi surfing speeds, Alaska Air says there's no need to fear. The movies and streaming content will be installed on stand-alone servers on each aircraft. That, says Alaska Air, means broadband access to its Gogo's inflight Wi-Fi "will not be compromised."

Also included in Alaska Air's 737 cabin upgrades are 110-volt and USB power outlets as well as a new seat design by Recaro that the carrier says will create more room at fliers' seats.

Alaska Air expects about half of its mainline fleet to have the new seats "by this summer." Also by this summer, Alaska Air says it will add power outlets to 36 of the roughly 133 737 aircraft in its fleet.

The company says it will "finish upgrades to its fleet and offer the new in-flight entertainment system on flights starting this fall."

"Offering Gogo Vision across our fleet, along with upgrading most of our Next Generation 737 aircraft with Recaro seats and seat power, will complement our award-winning personal service and make flying even more enjoyable for our customers," Joe Sprague, vice president of marketing, says in a statement announcing the service.

The carrier says pricing plans for the streaming in-flight entertainment service will "range from under $6 for movies and under $3 for television content."

Additionally, Alaska Airlines announced that Wi-Fi provider Gogo has completed its Canadian air-to-ground Wi-Fi network. That will allow Alaska Air customers flying over Canada on routes between Alaska and the "Lower 48" access to Wi-Fi for their entire flights. Previously, the in-flight Wi-Fi was unavailable on certain portions of those routes as Alaska Airlines' aircraft flew over parts of Canada that did not yet have coverage.